What makes KOFY's animal segments stick is exactly what made independent TV stick — low production value that somehow felt more sincere than anything slicker. The dogs weren't glamorous. The jingle wasn't polished. It worked anyway. For a generation of SF kids, KOFY was the channel you watched when nothing else was on, and somehow it became the channel you remembered.

If this has you nostalgic, the SF Public Library's San Francisco History Center at the Main Branch (100 Larkin St., Civic Center BART) holds broadcast ephemera and local media archives worth digging through. Free, open to the public, no appointment needed for the general collection.

If you've only got two hours: pull up the r/sanfrancisco thread, screenshot the dog photos, then walk over to SF Animal Care and Control at 1200 Harrison St. and see the current version in person. Adoptions are free on select days — check their site before you go.